Dry-cleaning machine



April 16, 1929.

C. F. GREGG DRY CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14, 1926 Charles INVENTOR.

If Gregg,

PATENT orrics.

CHARLES F. GREGG, 013 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

DRY-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed January 14, 1926. Serial no. 81,155.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for dry cleaning and especially machines for dry cleaning delicate fabrics and j the like. I have found that in the ordinary cleaning machines in dry cleaning establish-- ments the tumbling movement of the fabrics durin the cleaning operation causes the threa s, especially of delicate fabrics, to break and causes excessive wear on the material.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a cleaning apparatus in which the cleaning liquid is thoroughly forced through the fabric of the articles to be cleaned and at the same time the articles are not subjected to the agitation and tumbling of the ordinary commercial type of cleaner.

For the purpose of disclosing my lnvention I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings in which V t Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention, partly broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 isa plan View partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation showing more particularly the relation of the cleaning container with the fluid container;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the container for the material to be cleaned;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism for the material clamp, and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective showing more particularly the arrangement of the splash guards.

In the embodiment illustrated I provide a tank or receptacle 1 which is adapted to contain the cleaning fluid and which is cylindrical in shape having a substantially conical bottom 2. The top of this tank is closed by a hood 3 having a door 1 hinged as at 5 at its upper end to the top of the hood and inclined outwardly and downwardly to be thereby held closed by gravity. The door when in its raised position is adapted to strike a pair of spring arms 6 arranged at the top of the hood. This construction is such that in event of the fluid in the tank be coming ignited, due to static electricity or other causes, the door will be blown open by the force of the explosion of the accu mulated gas in the tank, thereby preventing the tank from being blown to pieces and at the same time as the door is blown upwardly it will strike the springs 6 which will tend to kick the door back into closed position mesh secured to an angle iron ring 15.

:thereby again closing the door. This permits i of the relieving of the pressure in the tank and atthesame time immediately closes the tank against the escape of the flames of the gnited liquid in the tank.

The tank is supported above the floor upontwo pairs of legs 7, 7 each pair being connected by an arcuate cross bar bolted to the bottom of the tank. Due to the fact thatthe tank is cylindrical and due to the particular construction of thesupporting legs the same ,size legs may be used 111 connection with various sized tanks.

Operating within the tank is a container 8 p which is substantially cylindrical in shape and is provided with a foraminous bottom 9. This bottom consists of a woven wire mesh which at its edge is clamped on the horizontal rail of an angle iron 10 by means of a clamping ring 11. This angle iron is secured to the inner face of the container 8 at its bottom edge and likewise secured to the angle iron by means of securing straps 12 an annual outwardly flaring lip 13 which provides a substantially truncated cone shaped extension beyond the foraminous, bottom.

The goods are clamped in the container between the bottom 9 and a foraminous clamp 14: preferably formed of woven wire lock or latch is mounted on the top of the clamp and comprises a plurality of radially extending arms 17 projecting from a central spider 18. These arms at their outer ends are secured to ring and have extending from their upper surface a plurality of guide lugs such as 19. Radially operating in these guide lugs are a plurality of latch bars. The two side latch bars 20 at their inner ends engage the cam surface 21 and 22 of a cam slide 23 which is Wedge shaped and is reciprocated by means of a handle extension 24 and guided at its rear end by the extension rod 25 which operates in one of the lugs 19. lVhen this slide is projected in one direction the wedge shaped cam sides force the locking rods 20 outwardly against the influence of the coiled springs26 and into latch openlugs 27 in the sides of the container 8. A latch bar 28 at its rear end is connected to the end of the slide 23 and as the slide is projected to force the bars 20 into engagement with their openings 27 the bar 28 is projected to engage similar openings in the side walls of the container 8. Interposed between a collar onthe rod 28 and one of the guide lugs 19 is a coiled spring 29 which tends to move the rod and with it the slide23 in its I projected or locking position. The container is vertically reciprocated within the tank and to this end at each side'is provided with vertical straps 30 the upper ends of which are connected through slots in the hood with I the topsof the reciprocating rods 31 mounted on the exterior of the tank. These rods operatein' suitable guides32. and at their upper ends are connected with sprocket chains 33 passing over sprocket wheels. 34 and connected at their opposite ends with'counter- Weights 35., Pitman 36' operated by crank arms 37 on the driving shaft 38 are 'con-,

nected with these rodsf31. In order to prevent the liquid as it is forced up through upper edge with guards 39slidably engaging at the slotted openings. 1 In operation the fabrics to be cleaned are the goods in the container 8 from splashing out through the slots in each side of the hood duri ngthe reciprocation of the container the container is provided on each side above its inturned lips 40 on the interior of the hood placedwithin the container and the clamping memberlocked in position on top of the fabrics holding the fabrics securely clamped between the clamping member and the bottom of the'container. The container is then vertically reciprocated in the cleaning fluid with-in the tank and during such reciprocation the fluid is forced up through the foraminous bottom through the fabrics and out out the bottom of the container. Due to the flaring lip at the bottom of the container, as the container moves downwardly the liquid is more thoroughly forced up through the fabrics to be cleaned. By the above construction the liquid is repeatedly forced through the fabrics to be cleaned while at the same time the fabrics themselves are not agitated or subjected to rubbing or tumbling action.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a dry cleaning machine the combination with a cylindrical receiver for goods to be cleaned, having a foraminous bottom, of a foraminous clamp for the goods adj ustably mounted in said receiver and locking means for locking-said clamp in position including a plurality of radially slidable latches arranged to engage in the side walls of the container, and a sliding wedge cam for projecting said latches into locking position.

2. In a dry cleaning machine the combination with a cylindrical receiver for the goods to be cleaned having a. foraminous bottom, of an adjustable foraminous clamp for clamping the goods in said receiver including a plurality of radially slidable latch members arranged to be engaged in the side walls of the container, a sliding wedge cam for engaging the inner ends of some of said latch bars to project the same into latching position, at least one of said latch bars being positively connected to said cam and means for biasing said cam to a position to project the latch bars.

In witness whereof, I, CHARLES F. Game, have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis,

Indiana.

CHARLES F. GREGG. 

